Avocado

Tree facts

Scientific name

Persea americana

Origin

Mexico and Central America

Tree size

30–60 ft if left alone; can be kept under 15–20 ft with pruning

Growth rate

Fast

Sun

Full sun

Soil

Must drain fast. Avocados die quickly in soggy soil from root rot, so plant on a mound where water stands.

Soil pH

5.5–7.5

Pollination

Self-fertile, but flowers open on an A or B schedule; a tree of the other type nearby improves fruit set

Cold hardiness

West Indian types are hurt near 30°F, Guatemalan hybrids at about 26°F, Mexican types at about 20°F

USDA zones

9b–11 (Mexican types into 9a)

Years to first fruit

3–4 for a grafted tree

Season

Jul–Jan

Water

About every 7 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young

Feeding

About every 90 days, Feb–Sep

Pruning

Feb–Apr

Taste

Buttery and mild. Florida (West Indian) types are lighter and less oily than Hass.

Nutrition

Healthy monounsaturated fat, fiber, potassium, folate and vitamin K

Is avocado safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts

What you can eat

• Ripe flesh, raw
• Dried leaves of Mexican-type avocados, used as an anise-flavored seasoning in Mexican cooking

Toxic parts and cautions

• Toxic: The leaves, bark, skin and pit contain persin, which is toxic to birds, rabbits, horses, goats and sheep, even in small amounts.
• Good to know: People with a latex allergy sometimes react to avocado (latex-fruit syndrome).
• Good to know: The pit isn't food. It's a choking hazard for small children.

Pets: Keep pet birds, rabbits and horses away from every part of the plant. Dogs and cats usually just get an upset stomach, but a swallowed pit can block the gut.

How to eat and enjoy avocado

• Guacamole, or sliced on toast, salads and tacos
• Batidos and shakes blended with milk and sugar (Latin America, the Philippines)
• Cold avocado soup
• Ice cream and desserts
• Florida types are best sliced fresh; their lighter flesh makes a looser guacamole

Avocado varieties (14)

• Brogdon

  A purple-skinned Mexican hybrid with rich flavor, among the most cold-hardy avocados in Florida.

  Origin: Florida · Taste: Rich, nutty · Season: Jul–Sep · Size: Medium

  Good for colder parts of Central Florida.

• Catalina

  A big West Indian avocado with light, sweet flesh.

  Origin: Cuba · Taste: Mild, slightly sweet · Season: Aug–Sep · Size: Very large

• Choquette

  A very large, glossy green Florida avocado with juicy, mild flesh, ripening in winter.

  Origin: Florida, 1934 · Taste: Mild, watery-light · Season: Dec–Feb · Size: Very large

• Day

  An early, pear-shaped avocado on a small, cold-tolerant tree.

  Origin: Florida · Taste: Mild, good flavor · Season: Jul–Sep · Size: Medium

• Donnie

  One of the first Florida avocados of the year.

  Origin: Florida · Taste: Mild · Season: Jun–Jul · Size: Medium to large

• Fuerte

  A pear-shaped, green-skinned avocado that once led California's industry.

  Origin: Mexico · Taste: Rich, creamy · Season: Nov–Mar · Size: Medium

  Type B flowers. Fairly cold-tolerant.

• Hall

  A large, pear-shaped avocado with richer flesh than most Florida types.

  Origin: Florida · Taste: Rich, nutty · Season: Oct–Dec · Size: Large

• Hass

  The world's best-known avocado: small, with pebbly skin that turns purple-black and rich, oily flesh.

  Origin: California, 1926 · Taste: Rich, nutty, creamy · Season: Apr–Sep · Size: Small to medium

  Type A flowers. Prefers a dry, mild climate and often does poorly in humid South Florida.

• Lula

  A pear-shaped fall avocado that tolerates some cold.

  Origin: Florida, 1915 · Taste: Mild, nutty · Season: Oct–Jan · Size: Medium to large

  Prone to scab in rainy years.

• Miguel

  A large, smooth-skinned Florida avocado with good flavor.

  Origin: Florida · Taste: Mild, rich · Season: Aug–Oct · Size: Large

• Monroe

  A big winter avocado and one of the more cold-tolerant Florida types.

  Origin: Florida, 1937 · Taste: Mild, smooth · Season: Nov–Jan · Size: Large

• Reed

  A large, round avocado with thick green skin and creamy flesh.

  Origin: California · Taste: Rich, buttery · Season: Jul–Oct · Size: Large

  Type A flowers.

• Russell

  A long-necked avocado, often over a foot long, with creamy flesh.

  Origin: Florida Keys · Taste: Rich for a Florida type · Season: Aug–Sep · Size: Very large, long neck

• Simmonds

  An early, large West Indian avocado that starts the Florida season.

  Origin: Florida, 1913 · Taste: Mild, light · Season: Jul–Aug · Size: Large

Pests and diseases to watch for

• Anthracnose

  Black, sunken spots on flowers, young leaves and fruit; blossoms turn black and drop. Ripe fruit gets dark spots that spread and rot.

  What to do: Prune out dead twigs and blackened panicles.

• Whiteflies

  Clouds of tiny white flies when a branch is shaken; yellowing leaves and sooty mold.

  What to do: Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil on leaf undersides.

• Laurel wilt

  Leaves on one or more branches suddenly wilt and turn brown but stay on the tree; tiny holes with sawdust 'toothpicks' on the trunk.

  What to do: There's no home cure. Remove and chip or bury infected trees quickly so beetles can't breed in them.

  Kills avocados fast. Contact your extension office to confirm and for removal guidance.

• Phytophthora root rot

  Small, pale, wilting leaves, thin canopy and branch dieback; roots are black and brittle instead of white.

  What to do: Water less and improve drainage.

• Algal leaf spot

  Raised, rusty-orange velvety spots on leaves and twigs.

  What to do: Copper spray in summer if it's heavy.

• Scale insects

  Small bumps, waxy or shell-like, on stems and leaf veins; sticky honeydew and black sooty mold below.

  What to do: Scrub small colonies off with a soft brush.